Tag: event review

ATA calls for bill to boost transit funds by indexing the gas tax to inflation

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Active Transportation Alliance director Ron Burke at this morning’s event in Pritzker Park. Participants are holding Riders for Better Transit signs.

This morning Active Transportation Alliance held a press conference to announce that the advocacy group and its partners are introducing legislation in Springfield that would raise the state gas tax and index it to inflation. Under this initiative, called Transit Fast Forward, the tax hike would apply only in the six-county Chicago region, and the extra revenue would be used solely to increase funding to the CTA, Metra and Pace.

The new legislation, Senate Bill 3236, is sponsored by State Senator Martin Sandoval, a Democrat from Chicago. Active Trans estimates the hike in state gas taxes in Chicagoland would only be .4 cents per gallon in 2013, costing an average family an extra $4 for the year. But the result would be an estimated $11.6 million in new transit funding next year, and a whopping $168 million increase in funds over the next five years. Continue reading ATA calls for bill to boost transit funds by indexing the gas tax to inflation

CDOT proposes road diets, protected bike lanes for King, 31st and 55th

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CDOT’s Mike Amsden and 4th Ward Alderman Will Burns

I’m always happy to pay a visit to my old stomping ground of Hyde Park-Kenwood. So Monday afternoon I took advantage of a nice southbound wind and pedaled down the lakefront to Kenwood Academy for a 4th Ward community meeting hosted by Alderman Will Burns. At the assembly Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) bike planner Mike Amsden gave a presentation about the CDOT’s plans to install protected bike lanes and buffered bike lanes on the Near South Side. The new facilities would be part of the city’s Streets for Cycling plan to install 100 miles of protected lanes and some 150 miles of other innovative bikeways over the next few years.

Here’s a map of the proposed locations in or near the 4th Ward. As Amsden outlined at the meeting, these streets would be undergoing “road diets,” removing and/or narrowing car travel lanes to make room for the new bike lanes. Additional benefits would include discouraging speeding and other reckless driving behavior, as well as reduced crossing distances for pedestrians. Continue reading CDOT proposes road diets, protected bike lanes for King, 31st and 55th

Grid Shots: Bike Winter Art Show edition

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Photo booth at the art show
The first three photos in this post are by John

Can you believe it’s 51°F right now? The snow from Thursday is still sitting in the shadowy places of alleys, but the sun and temperature is downright joyous.

The 15th annual Bike Winter Art Show kicked off at Gala Gallery (1000 N Milwaukee) on Friday night. Here’s my curated gallery of photos from the art show by John. I was busy that night at the UIC Urban Innovation Symposium, giving an “adapted” Pecha Kucha presentation about my Crash Browser project. There will be a party with a bike fashion show on March 9, 2012. Continue reading Grid Shots: Bike Winter Art Show edition

Last week’s South Side Streets for Cycling meeting

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Peter Taylor points out a route on the Southeast Side

Last Wednesday I put my bicycle on the Red Line, rode down to 95th Street and pedaled over to the Woodson Library, 9525 S. Halsted in Longwood Manor, for the second of three public meetings for the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. Read Steven’s recap of the previous week’s session at the Garfield Park Conservatory here.

The last meeting of the series takes place this evening from 6-8 pm at the Sulzer Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Lincoln Square. If you can’t make it, there are also webinars you can attend online on Friday and Monday from noon to 1 pm.

Continue reading Last week’s South Side Streets for Cycling meeting

Heritage Bicycles opening party was a good time

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The owner talks to party guests. You can see the small food menu above him. 

Guests to Saturday night’s opening party at Heritage Bicycles and General Store (2959 N Lincoln Avenue) had their choice of free wine and any coffee drink the baristas could make. There were hors d’oeuvres and delicious cupcakes, too.

John met Michael Salvatore, the owner, several months ago, but I met him for the first time. He was surprised that so many people showed up (over 70 while I was there), and impressed and appreciative of all the attention his shop has received locally and nationwide (people all around the country have been linking in).

My friend Alexander Richard came, too, and he said the idea of a café and bike shop is well thought, adding, “it’s something entirely progressive, which is what this city needs”.

Continue reading Heritage Bicycles opening party was a good time

Co-leaders discuss the West Side advisory group for Streets for Cycling

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Steven Lane and Johanna Thompson with a map of the West Side region

As as sub-consultant for CDOT’s Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 to create 150 – 250 miles of innovative bikeways, Active Transportation Alliance has formed community advisory groups in nine regions of the city to collect input from residents. To get involved, find contact info for the advisory group in your part of the town.

Last Sunday I caught up with Johanna Thompson and Steven Lane, co-leaders of the West Side advisory group, responsible for the region bounded by Belmont Street, the Kennedy Expressway, the Eisenhower Expressway and the city’s western limits. They were hosting a drop-in session for community members at New Wave Coffee, 2551 N. Milwaukee in Logan Square, and they filled me in on what they’re doing to solicit feedback from people of all cycling abilities and every neighborhood in their region.

Continue reading Co-leaders discuss the West Side advisory group for Streets for Cycling